This Means War
by kilgirlie
Summary: It's spy vs. spy for the love of Maura Isles. AU; based on the movie of the same name. Rizzles end-game.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** CIA operatives FDR Jane Rizzoli and Jack Armstrong are inseparable best friends and partners. Together, their good looks, covert abilities and combat skills rank them among the CIA's elite, but their longstanding personal and professional bond is put to the test when they meet Maura Isles. AU based on the movie of the same name.

 **Disclaimer:** We own nothing but the words. Characters belong to TNT and Tess Garritsen, plot belongs to Fox.

Co-written with Maurarizzoli16 who deserves complete credit for coming up with this idea.

Five years ago, when Special Agent Jack Armstrong learned he was being partnered with a new CIA recruit, he was not happy about it. When he found out his new partner was hotshot Boston detective Jane Rizzoli, he was downright pissed off. Rizzoli was credited with single-handedly bringing down a serial killer known as The Surgeon and because of that, her face had been on the news every night for weeks. Jack knew that having that kind of notoriety was the last thing you wanted in the spy game.

Jane, for her part, was equally leery of Jack. Having grown up in a blue collar neighborhood and worked her way up to detective the hard way, she didn't know what to make of him. It was hard for her to believe that this computer geek who was recruited while he was still a student at MIT could have her back. She had been recruited to the country's top spy agency while lying in a hospital bed, recovering from having had a scalpel plunged into each of her hands. Given his lack of law enforcement experience, Jack didn't exactly fit the profile of who Jane wanted to be out in the field with.

After months of going at it, and with the not so friendly encouragement of Deputy Director Korsak, they gradually gained some respect for each other. Jane discovered that even if he wasn't as stealthy as she was, Jack had written a program that allowed them to clone cell phones wirelessly. That technology alone saved their asses on numerous occasions. For his part, Jack realized that everybody had bought the story that she had accepted early retirement and promptly forgot all about her. No one ever even gave her a second look when they were out in public and that was all he needed. He was also quite impressed with her intuition, but he would never admit that to her.

Professional respect eventually paved the way for friendship. By the time they found themselves running across the world chasing the Rockmond brothers, they were best friends. This had been a long, convoluted mission and they were grateful that they at least had someone they worked well with. Derek and Dennis Rockmond were world class smugglers that the CIA had been watching for years. Using their father's art brokerage as a cover, they were using sculptures to smuggle human organs. Poor people in small Central Asian and Baltic countries were selling their lives for a meager stipend to be paid to their families. Their hearts, lungs, kidneys and whatever else could be sold were being shipped to wealthy Americans who thought their money should put them first on any waiting list. Jane and Jack had been following them through Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Belarus and now back into Russia. They were always one step behind the deals until Jack managed to finally get close enough to Derek to clone his phone in St. Petersburg. That is what led them here.

Moscow 11:37 pm

They had been waiting for over an hour for the man of the hour to show up. Standing near the bar in the hotel they watched the crowd of people walking around, flirting and drinking. "Hi, my name is Lannie," said the bar patron sitting at the bar watching them.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Jack," Jack replied, shaking Lannie's hand.

"Jane," Jane said as she kissed the girls hand.

"What bring you to Moscow?" asked Nicole, Lannie's friend.

"Business." "Pleasure." Jack and Jane replied at the same time. Turning to give Jack a look, "a little bit of both," Jane clarified.

"What kind of business are you in?"

"I'm an entertainment software engineer and my friend here is in consumer research. We were in town for a conference, but we always make sure to stick around for a few days to get to know the area," Jack answered, giving Lannie his best dimpled smile.

Jane turned to Nicole and leaned in close to her ear. "So, why don't you tell me what you're here for?" she asked in a deep, seductive voice.

Just as a flustered Nicole was about to respond, Jane looked up and saw the Rockmonds entering with a whole entourage of bodyguards. They were followed by two bell boys carrying a large wooden crate. She was glad that for once they had done their homework and weren't flying by the seat of their pants. The organ broker that the brothers thought they would be meeting had been detained at the airport. Jack was prepared to take his place, with Jane acting as his assistant. They even had a tactical unit, on loan from the Moscow police, in place to take the suspects into custody once the transaction was done. It was old-fashioned detective work, just the way Jane liked it.

Nodding to Jack, she interrupted Nicole with "Oops, sorry, looks like it's time for us to get to our meeting. Hopefully we can catch up with you lovely ladies once all this silly business is done with." With that, she grabbed their brief case and they headed towards the conference room. Just before he knocked, Jack straightened his tie, ran his hands through his hair and adjusted his fake glasses. He had a hard time getting into the persona of someone who could sell body parts for a living. Jane's experiences in Vice trained her to be able to become any character in an instant. Once she dropped her shoulders and plastered on her fake smile, nobody would ever doubt that she took orders all day.

One knock later, the large door was opened by a large man in a black suit. Looking around, Jane realized that was the best description she could give for any of the half dozen men in the room. That is, except for the two who could be described as large men wearing expensive suits, the two who were so obviously in charge. Dennis sat at the head at the conference table with a man posted on either side of him. Derek was in a corner, talking animatedly on his phone, as though he was above the business currently taking place. He, too, was flanked by a pair of guards.

Introductions were quickly made, and then Jack and Jane sat down to get started. Jack quickly struck up a conversation with Dennis about art in the hopes that keeping him slightly distracted. As Jane pulled out her tablet so she could process the wire transfer with one of the goons, she couldn't resist running her fingers across the images on her newly engraved leather case. It made Jane nervous that the government was going to let her hand over 1.5 million dollars, even if it was temporarily. Just before she hit enter to start the transfer, Derek ended his call and looked around the room. He looked directly at Jack and started shouting.

"You, I know you. I saw you at that restaurant in St. Petersburg. Why are you following me?"

With that, the doors flew open and all hell broke loose. Jane grabbed Jack and pulled him under the table. Though she was never one to run from a fight, she decided this one was best left to the guys dressed for war. It felt like they had been watching bullets fly and wood splinter around them for an eternity when suddenly everything stopped.

They slowly crawled out and took in the scene around them. There were 5 dead bodies spread across the floor, including that of Derek Rockmond. The tactical response team was lined up along the wall, looking none the worse for the wear. Conspicuously missing were Dennis Rockmond and Jane's tablet. The one consolation was the crate still sitting on the conference table. At least they still had their evidence.

Jane wiped off her blazer and shrugged. "Rockmond's gotta be fuckin' pissed."

"I'm much more worried about the boss."

"Shit, yeah, there's that. Hey, do you think those girls are still here?"

Jack just laughed at that, it always amazed him how quickly Jane could get distracted. "Not if they figured out that I used a fancy way of saying that I write and you play video games for a living."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Nothing owned here…

Maura Isles loved medical school. She loved the libraries, the laboratories and the lecture halls. She loved learning anything and everything she could. But, if there was any class that knowledge loving Maura dreaded, it was this. Patient-Doctor Year I was a course that defined everything that made her insecure about becoming a doctor. The human body held endless intricacies to discover, but interacting one on one with the humans that those bodies belonged to always proved to be Maura's downfall.

Maura couldn't even enjoy the lecture that took up the first half of the class because she knew what was coming. As the professor explained the importance of paying close attention to everything a patient had to say, she could feel her anxiety growing. Once the lecture was over, it was time to pick a partner and take each other's medical histories. Maura gathered her things and looked around the room for someone to work with. She watched as a flash of fear ran across the face of each student she looked at and they got up to pair off as fast as they could. Finally, when only one awkward looking young man was left without a partner, Maura got up and joined him in the back of the classroom.

"Hello, I'm Maura Isles," she introduced herself as confidently as she could.

"Everybody knows the teacher's pet," the boy mumbled into his chest.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Maura asked, hoping she hadn't heard correctly.

"Nothing. The name's Greg Perlow. Now, why don't we get this over with, I'll go first," he responded, just trying to get through the assignment as fast as possible.

Greg proceeded to ask Maura all the basics of her personal medical history. Having never been sick or injured the answer to nearly every question was negative. She took no medications, had no allergies and had never been hospitalized. Greg then moved on to the family history section, which is where Maura's issues began.

"Does your mother have any history of heart disease?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied shyly.

"Does she have high blood pressure?"

"I don't know."

"Well, has she ever had a heart attack?"

"I don't know."

"How do you not even know if your own mother has had a heart attack?"

"I, I was adopted, I d-don't know anything about m-my biological p-parents," Maura stuttered.

"Well, why couldn't you have started with that?" he exclaimed. He drew an X through the family history and wrote "orphan" as big as he could across it. "Now that we know we can skip that, let's move on to your questions."

Maura worked to calm her breathing. The word that he had written was rolling around her head on repeat, along with all that it implied. No one wanted her, they never did, not even the people who were supposed to want her the most. She could feel the anxiety attack coming but did her best to distract herself with the questionnaire. She managed to do fairly well at appearing calm and in control the first few questions. It was all over once Greg said yes to having a history of seizures.

"Did you know that epilepsy affects twice as many people in the US as cerebral palsy? Apparently, there are nearly a million people in this country with uncontrolled seizure disorders. There are many different forms of epilepsy but no known cure. Many people can manage their symptoms with medications, though. There are also many different forms of seizures ranging from the extreme tonic-clonic seizure to a partial seizure that can be nothing more than a finger twitch. There a many famous people afflicted with epilepsy, such as Chief Justice John Roberts and…"

"Ok, enough," Greg cut her off. "I just want to get the assignment, not learn the whole history of epilepsy. Shit, I was trying to get out of here early."

Maura was instantly embarrassed. For some reason, whenever she got really nervous she started spouting endless facts and she couldn't figure out how to stop herself. She also knew that she was the only student unhappy that this was last class before the weekend. Hoping to save face with a little small talk, she tried asking "so, do you have any big plans after class?"

"Yeah, I still gotta pack for my flight to Cancun," he answered.

"You're going all the way to Cancun for the weekend?"

Greg looked at her like she was crazy. "Um, no, it's spring break."

 _Way to go Maura, now you look like even more of a pariah_ she thought to herself. She handed him her questionnaire to fill out himself. It felt like cheating but she just couldn't handle anymore conversation. She hoped maybe letting him do it quickly so he could leave would make up for her accidental lecture.

By the following Tuesday, Maura had discovered that there were some advantages to having forgotten spring break and ending up nearly alone on campus. There was nothing like being the only person in the library aside from the librarian. It was kind of nice to not have classes to interrupt her own personal intellectual pursuits. The best part was being able to wander around campus, lost in a book, and not have to worry about crashing into people and being mocked for being a book worm.

As Maura was making her way from her apartment to the campus bookstore, she was enjoying a re-read of "Merchant of Venice." Always a sucker for they bard, the world around her just sort of fell away. She thought she heard her name in the distance, but then thought better of it, given the campus's near desertion. Lost in Shylock's soliloquy, she didn't notice the couple approaching until they were only a few feet from her and he was saying her name. Looking up, Maura saw the sweetest, most handsome boy she had ever known. Garrett Fairfield was tall and strong, built like the track star he was. He had soulful brown eyes and light brown hair cut to frame his face perfectly. As he flashed his overly charming smile, all Maura could think was that he was the last person she wanted to see. Especially once she looked up and noticed the blond he had his arm around.

"Maura, good to see you," Garrett said, sounding almost sincere.

"Hello, Garrett," she replied, mumbling into her chest.

She tried continue on her way but he cut her off with "What are you doing wasting your time on Shakespeare? Shouldn't you be reading _Gray's Anatomy_ for the fifth time or something?"

And there it was. The absolute worst part of Garrett Fairfield wasn't that he had ignored her existence or mocked her for her odd interests like the rest of her peers. No, the horrible thing about him was that he had done the opposite. Having grown up with parents who ran in the same social circles, Maura and Garrett often found themselves at the same charity events. Unlike all the others their age, he always sought her out. He never rolled his eyes or cut her when she started listing endless fact. He would simply smile and listen, like he was filing all of that information away for a later date. She considered him to have been her only childhood friend.

When she started at BCU as an undergrad, she was surprised to run into Garrett at orientation. Both of them found it comforting to be around a familiar face, so they quickly became inseparable. He even invited her to his family's East Hampton estate for winter break, where he asked her to be his girlfriend. Maura was ecstatic, of course. They settled into an easy, supportive relationship with very little friction or tension. Despite the fact that she was taking enough classes to make it through her pre-med degree in 3 years and he had become the president of his fraternity, they always managed to find time for each other. To her, it seemed like the perfect relationship.

That was why she was totally blindsided when he dumped her 2 weeks before her graduation. One day they were making plans for the summer and the next he was calling to say he couldn't do this anymore. He didn't even give her a reason. It didn't make any sense to Maura. She had even accepted a spot at BCU med school so she could stay near him during his senior year. It wasn't until an Isles Foundation event over the summer that she overheard some girls gossiping about her that she learned the truth. They were whispering about how Garrett had asked his father for permission to marry her but Mr. Fairfield had said that Maura would never be capable of being a proper Fairfield wife.

With all this in mind, she knew making small talk with him was not her idea of a good time. "Why are you even on campus right now?" she snapped back at him.

His smile faltered for a minute before he recovered "Oh, the Fairfield Gala is tonight. Meg and I have to make an appearance." He was not at all used to Maura being so abrupt, it was very out of character.

She looked down and mumbled "of course," as though she was talking to her shoes.

"You'll be there, right?" he asked as if yes could be the only answer.

Maura looked between him and Meg. She was the definition of a blond sorority princess. She belonged in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. But then it hit Maura, this girl's looks weren't what made her the perfect escort for a guy like Garrett. Meg hadn't said anything for the whole time she had been standing there, a feat Maura could never pull off.

"No, there's no reason for me to be there," she said as she turned to continue on her way.

Two hours later, Maura found herself following her mentor around the local farmers' market. Dr. Jessica Spielberg had taught Maura in her Intro to Anatomy class, when she was a freshman, and taken her under her wing immediately. Now, she even had Maura guest lecturing that course for her on occasion. She could see some of herself in the shy girl and she hoped that maybe she could help her overcome some of her anxieties. It was obvious from their first conversation that Maura was brilliant and that if she could learn to believe in herself, she could accomplish anything.

Maura greatly admired Dr. Spielberg. She was so smart and so accomplished. She was the head of pediatric surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, an associate professor of pediatric medicine at BCU, a wife and the mother of a beautiful 4-year-old daughter. Impressively, she seemed to excel at all these things. Professionally, she was at the top of field and had a career that most doctors couldn't even dream about. Secretly though, Maura was even more envious of her personal life. Most students only knew the always proper doctor, who only ever taught in scrub and a lab coat, but Maura got the privilege of getting to know Jessica.

Sara, Jessica's wife, was an orthopedic surgeon herself. Their daughter, Sophia, looked just like a miniature version of Sara with dark brown hair and soft brown eyes. Though they had made it through some tough times, five years into their marriage they were still very much in love. The warmth that was always present around them was exactly the feeling that Maura had always felt was missing from her life. You could just see in their eyes how much they cared about each other and Sophia. They were always trying to rearrange their schedules or cut meetings short so that they could all sit down for family dinner. Because it was the opposite of how Maura was raised, Jessica tried to make her feel a part of this family as much as possible.

As they were browsing organic strawberries, Maura asked "Why would Garrett even want me at his family's gala?"

Jessica looked up from her selections and gave Maura a look like she was crazy. "Why wouldn't he? But honestly, who cares?"

"What do you mean who cares? I care; he is the man I thought I would end up marrying."

"Does it really matter anymore what that boy wants, says, or does anything? Anyway, you're asking the wrong question."

"Personally, I believe that yes, it does matter. But, if you don't wish to discuss Garrett's motives with me, then tell me what question I should be asking."

Even to Jessica, Maura could be frustrating at times. Paying for her produce, she took a deep breath and replied, "Instead of worrying about his motives, you should think about your own. The important question here is why you would want to go."

"But I don't want to go." Maura's reply came with no hesitation.

"So why are we talking about this?"

"Because he looked so disappointed when I said I wasn't going."

"And his disappointment matters, why?"

"I just don't understand how someone can terminate a relationship and still be disappointed when the other party doesn't wish to socialize."

As they moved on to the next stall, Jessica could only shake her head. "You are keeping in mind why he broke up with you, right?"

"Yes, I'll never be good enough to be a Fairfield wife," Maura stated, entirely too matter-of-factly.

"That's not what he thought, that was his father's opinion. He only ended things to make his family happy, he was happy with you."

"So even when I do find that one person who can tolerate all of my idiosyncrasies, it turns out that I'm so odd that there family makes them get rid of me."

"The Fairfields are not a normal family. They are more like a dynasty. Their behavior isn't a fair representation of anything. I think it's been more than long enough. You need to move on, find someone new to occupy your thoughts."

"My thoughts are plenty busy with my studies at the moment," Maura deflected. "Besides, where would I meet someone new? Between classes and the library, I study nearly 11 hours every day and that's not including the journals I read once I get home. All my classmates look at me like I have leprosy, so they certainly aren't an option."

Jessica got a twinkle in her blue eyes as she smirked. "You ever think about online dating?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** No ownership here...

 **A/N:** Endless gratitude to all who followed, favorited and reviewed. Knowing that there are readers waiting for the next installment increases motivation. So it goes…

"I give you both one job. A highly coveted high level assignment, and yet you both fucked it up! How is that even possible?" Deputy Director Vince Korsak yelled at Jack and Jane back in their basement headquarters in Boston. Located upstairs was Titletown Software, the company they supposedly worked for. Given her history with BPD, Jane was on the payroll as a ballistics consultant and, since he actually had a computer engineering degree, Jack was a software designer.

After finding out that his two best agents failed their mission, he was pissed. They were assigned to apprehend the Rockmond Brothers and put an end to their operations. But yet, Jane and Jack managed to get one brother killed, and let the other one get away. The only thing that saved them from creating an international incident was Jane having had sense enough to call in the locals.

"Sir, we didn't mean for them to get away. Derek made us, what other choice did we have?" Jane tried to reason. They had royally screwed up this time. Now they have to worry about Dennis, who was the more deadly of the two. The whole operation the brothers had was his twisted idea, every last detail.

"I understand that you didn't mean to but it happened. Until we can find Dennis, you two are grounded," Korsak said sternly.

"Wha-what did he say..?" Jane mumbled.

"Grounded." Jack sighed, putting his index finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose. Turning back to his boss, he asked, "What would you like us to do now, sir?"

"Go upstairs and pretend to do your fake jobs while I figure out how to clean up your mess. You might wanna figure out how you make your little doohickey work better so it doesn't get you made next time, Jack," Korsak grumbled, dismissing them with a wave.

Pissed off and defeated, the two agents made their way up to their office. Jack definitely liked some of the perks that came with his cover job and the office was one of them. It was split in two and it was easy to tell Jack's side from Jane's. Jane had a huge flat screen mounted on the wall, with an Xbox and a Playstation hooked up, a big comfy couch and a small desk in the corner for her laptop. Jack filled his area with computing power. He had four workstations, with two monitors each. Each CPU had more processing power than he could ever afford to buy himself, and more ram than anyone could ever really need. The first thing he did when he got in was plug in his phone to run diagnostics.

"Oh my god, this is such bullshit," Jane declared, as she flopped herself down onto her couch. "We might have lost one of 'em, but we managed to bring back enough evidence to lock him up forever. They should at least let us help track him down, we've become experts in his habits. Fuck, I even know what he eats for breakfast and how he likes his coffee."

"This is the CIA, it don't work that way," Jack replied, knowing this was the beginning of a conversation they'd had a hundred times before. "Whatever the mission, unless you complete every aspect of it, you failed."

"Yeah well, I hate it. And I hate being stuck here," she continued to gripe. "I'm sick of all these games and there's nothing else to do around this god forsaken office."

All he could do was shake his head as he started tinkering. "Do you know how many people I know who would slap you for complaining about your day job? Your job description is play video games, tell developers whether the shooting is realistic and travel to conventions to talk about how realistic Titletown's games are. Even if you didn't get to go out and shoot real bad guys, you've got a pretty good gig."

"But now I'm stuck in Boston and it's Saturday," she whined at him. "You know what that means, right?"

Jack grinned, "Rizzoli family dinner tomorrow. I'm excited for Angela's lasagna and to catch up with Frankie."

"Of course you are."

* * *

Dennis Rockman walked into a small, cluttered shop in Paris. Scanning the room, he saw one of every item ever made out of leather. On each piece were some of the most intricate engravings he'd ever seen. Parked in the corner, under the only lamp, was an old man hunched over a workbench. Looking to be about 100 and with obviously arthritic hands, he was hard at work carving cowboy boots and hats into a ridiculously gaudy saddle. Dennis cleared his throat as he approached the man.

Pulling out the iPad case with its very detailed image of a baseball, mitt and bat, he asked the old man "Excuse me sir, can you help me out with something?"

"What seems to be the problem?" The man turned around and looked the younger man up and down. He was tall, around 6'3" with dark brown hair. He was dressed up in a beautiful suit that seems to be made just for him. Looking down at his hands he saw the tablet case with his own work on the top.

"I was wondering if you could explain this engraving to me. I love the intricate design," Dennis asked, trying to get information from the older man.

"Of course sir. I made it for an American woman recently. It was one of my best designs. Is there anything else I can help you with?" the older man explained.

"Actually, I was wondering, can tell me why there appears to be a pair of socks in front of this baseball?"

"I believe that to be the Boston Red Sox logo."

"Thank you sir, you have been quite helpful," Dennis said as he left the small shop. Pulling out his phone when he got outside he dialed a very familiar number.

"Yes?" the person on the other line asked.

"How fast can you get us to Boston?" Dennis asked.

* * *

The Rizzoli family house was almost as stereotypical as the characters that rolled through it. With its two stories and white paint, there was nothing about it that made it stand out from any other house on the block. It was slightly run down and in need of some TLC, but same with the rest. As Jane approached on Sunday afternoon, she felt the same sense of dread she always did when she had to deal with her family. The loud Italian bunch was guaranteed to be full of questions she couldn't really answer and advice she really didn't want.

The first thing Jane noticed as she walked through the door was the unmistakable aroma of home cooked Italian food. As usual, the wonderful scent was followed quickly by the grating sounds of her mother, Angela, yelling. "Frankie, get your fingers away from my cannoli. I do not need an 'official taste tester,' and besides aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on TJ while I'm cooking?"

"But Ma, somebody's gotta make sure they're up to par," Frankie whined from the kitchen. "And besides, the kid's in the living room watching Spongebob with Jack."

Somehow, Jane wasn't surprised that Jack had made it here before she did. Ever since they had been partnered together, he had gradually become an honorary Rizzoli. With black hair, an olive complexion and soft brown eyes, he even looked the part. He and Frankie had even been mistaken for brothers, while they were out drinking, on a few occasions. She walked into the living room and there he was, sitting on the couch that had been there for as long as she could remember, singing along with her four-year-old nephew. There was no repressing the snickers that escaped.

"Auntie Jane, you're here, you have to watch this, Plankton is trying to steal the Krabby patty secret formula, but Mr. Krabs has it locked up in his vault, but Plankton has a computer wife named Karen, and Squidward, he doesn't really care about any of it, he just wants to play the clarinet…" TJ exclaimed excitedly, until Jane cut him off.

"Whoa there buddy, stop and take a breath. If you sit here and tell me everything you know about Spongebob, you're gonna miss the whole episode." She couldn't help but giggle at the adorable little boy bouncing on the couch. He was the spitting image of his father, her brother Tommy. Jane truly hoped that TJ didn't choose to copy the way he lived his life. Smiling at the boy, she said, "I've gotta go check in with your Nonna, but I'll bet Uncle Jack wants to know all about those ninja Legos you were telling me about."

Jack shot her an evil look as TJ started in, "Wow, Uncle Jack, you don't know about Ninjago? It's about these four ninjas and they are the coolest ever, they travel all over, beating up bad guys, I wanna beat up bad guys when I grow up, the ninja's have elements, Zane is the ice ninja, he's a robot..."

Jane turned and headed into the kitchen. She didn't make it two steps in the door before her mother wrapped her up in her arms and bellowed in her ear, "Oh my god, Janie, you're finally home. I've been so worried about you, running all over the world with your little video games."

Squirming out of the embrace, she whined, "Jeez, Ma, you're gonna suffocate me doing that one of these days. And besides, there's not a lot to worry about at a software developers convention." She knew it was a half lie. While the statement itself was true, she was nowhere near the convention her family thought she was at. "The only scary thing there were all the nerds like Jack, sitting around, circle-jerking each other over their brilliant code."

"Language, Jane. And you know I'll always worry about my little girl."

"I'm not so little anymore, Ma."

"I know, I know. But maybe if you found someone to settle down with so you weren't coming home to that empty apartment…"

"Not this again." Jane cut Angela off. She crossed the kitchen and headed out the back door. As she walked out, she called over her shoulder, "I'm going to find Frankie, maybe he won't try to tell me how to live my own life." Looking around, she noticed him shooting hoops at the basket over the driveway. He missed his layup so she teased him: "Looks like somebody needs to practice more."

"Very funny, Janie," he replied. "What made you decide to finally grace us with your presence? Couldn't find some new bullshit conference to run off to? You're getting pretty good at avoiding having anything to do with this family."

"Don't call me Janie and I was working. That conference was part of my job."

"If you were really doing your job, you'd be at the precinct, Detective Rizzoli," Frankie pouted.

"You know that's not my job, Officer Rizzoli. That's not even who I am anymore."

"I know - my big sister used to be a hero. Now she's just another loser, sitting around and playing video games all day."

"Really, Frankie? I'm so sorry that I was held hostage by a serial killer and pinned to the ground with scalpels through my hands. I apologize to you, Francesco Rizzoli Jr., for the fact that I got retired out." She knew Frankie got crap at work for being her brother, but that didn't cut the edge off her sarcasm. It didn't help that he had only been in uniform for two weeks when Hoyt happened. Growing up, the two of them had always planned on being homicide detectives together. With her natural instincts, Jane succeeded in taking her place before he even graduated from the academy. He had finally joined the sister he had always looked up to on the force and it all blew up in their faces. She held up her hands to shove her scars in his face. "The brass don't trust these with a badge and a gun anymore, little brother."

"You didn't even try to come back."

"I think I was too busy learning how to feed myself again to deal with fighting for a job that didn't really seem worth the pain it caused." Jane may have loved putting away bad guys, but she hated dealing with the politics at BPD. When Korsak had appeared next to her hospital bed, with an offer to join the CIA, she couldn't have been more thrilled. It meant that instead of working to get better so that she could fight for her old job, she could work towards a new and exciting opportunity. "Lt. Grant wanted me out of his unit from the minute he got there and I say good riddance to that asshole."

"Dinner's ready," Angela bellowed from the doorway.

The table was covered from end to end with various Italian dishes. Angela was known to cook excessively when she was stressed and that was clearly the case at the moment. They all sat down in their usual seats. Frankie and Angela sat at the heads of the table, while Jack and Jane sat on one side. Opposite them, there was a noticeable absence next to TJ. Jane asked, "Where's Tommy, Ma?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," was all Angela could offer.

"He's not in jail, I checked," Frankie added.

The overly abundant meal and Frankie's bad attitude suddenly made a lot more sense to Jane. Her baby brother was off on another bender and everyone was fearing the consequences of this one. At 21, he had already gotten into endless bar fights, crashed three cars, been arrested six times and had his son dropped off on the porch of the family home. None of the Rizzoli's had seen or heard from TJ's mother since before he was born. They were all just grateful that she had put Tommy's name on the birth certificate. Unfortunately, this left Angela with an infant to raise just as she was thinking her youngest should be moving out soon. That hadn't happened yet either.

The meal passed fairly peacefully. Jane tried not to make things worse and kept her snippy comments to a minimum. She even politely declined when her mother started suggesting dates she could fix her up on. That didn't stop her from complaining to Jack about it when they were doing the dishes together after dinner. "Did you hear that crap? 'I heard my friend Teresa's sister's daughter, Bianca, is a lesbian.' Like I want to meet every lesbian anyone she knows has ever met."

"From what I've seen, I think you do," Jack laughed. "You just don't want to marry them like she wants you to."

"Yeah, well…" Jane trailed off. She couldn't exactly deny his implication. Giving it a moment of thought as she scrubbed to lasagna pan, she replied, "While I may be interested in meeting lots of women, I can do that just fine in my own. I don't need Ma's meddling."

"She just wants you to be happy. She's not wrong about life being better with a partner."

"I have a partner. You."

"That's not the same and you know it. My life sure hasn't been the same since Kate left me. Fun is fun, but nothing compares to going home to your wife and kid at the end of the day."

"How is Allie these days?" Jane asked. Jack sometimes brought his daughter to Rizzoli family dinners, but it wasn't his weekend to have her.

"Getting bigger everyday. I can't believe she'll be eight in a couple of months." He smiled. "She reminds me so much of Kate, it's scary. They have the same little mannerisms."

"You really miss being married, don't you?"

"Yeah, I really do."

"I don't get it."

Jack looked at her thoughtfully. "We make good partners, right?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied, wondering where he was going with this.

"You trust me, right?"

"Of course I do."

"And you would take a bullet for me, 'cause you know that I would take one for you?"

"Yeah…"

"We work well together, know what the other is thinking and can anticipate each other's needs, right?"

"That's what partners do," Jane said. She had stopped washing and was just staring at Jack at this point.

He put the dish he had been rinsing in the rack and turned to look at her. "Good, you understand the concept, but that's just at work. Now, I want to imagine having that with someone who can do that for everything else in your life."

Jane just stared back at him like he had grown another head.

 **A/N 2.0:** Many thanks to hocuspocuspocahontas for the beta work.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Nothing owned...

 **A/N:** and so on...

Monday morning was sunny cheerful, as was Maura Isles. Grateful for the end of spring break and the return of classes, she was up at dawn. She took a long jog around campus, a long hot shower and then proceeded with her long daily morning routine. The time she spent was evident in her flawless makeup and the way her caramel colored hair fell perfectly. After one last check in the mirror, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles in her dress, she began gathering everything she would need for her day. Not that she was expecting any, but she checked her phone for missed calls as she made her way out the door. She was surprised to find that she actually had four e-mail notifications. Opening gmail, Maura was really confused when she noticed that she didn't recognize any of the addresses the messages were from. She decided to ignore them and headed off to Immunology, Microbiology & Pathology, her favorite class.

As usual, Maura was the first to arrive to the large lecture hall. Her favorite seat was in the middle of the front row and some part of her always feared someone else would claim it. It had never happened but in the back of her mind, Maura was sure that if she wasn't there 15 minutes early, somehow she'd be stuck in the back of the class and she'd miss all the information. Settling in to her spot, she felt her phone buzz. Seeing one more mail alert, she decided to open this latest message. She was taken aback as she read it.

" _Hey hot stuff! so you like the human body, me too. I wanna get to know your body… -smartandhot89"_ Maura couldn't figure out why anyone would send her a message like that, so she decided it was an anomaly. She swiped over to the next message and nearly dropped her phone as she read it. _"So you're gonna be a doctor? I think I need an examination… call me (617) 343-4220 -MrMarky"_ Quickly, Maura shut off her phone and shoved it into her purse. Whatever was going on, she decided it could be dealt with after class.

* * *

As much as Jack enjoyed seeing the world, he knew he had to take advantage of what little time in Boston he had. It seemed as though every time he came back from a trip, his daughter had grown another 2 inches. Grateful that his ex was willing to encourage any time that he could spend with her, he smiled as he saw Allie come dawdling out of the house, towards his car.

"You know I can just take the bus like everyone else," she said, as she threw her stuff in the back and climbed in the front seat.

"It's good to see you too, sweetheart," he sighed as he put the car in drive. It was becoming quite clear that his baby girl was fast approaching preteen status. "I've missed you."

"Oh right, hi Dad, how was your trip?"

He could hear the insincerity in her voice. "You don't have to ask, if you don't want to know. We can just talk about you. How's school going?"

Allie couldn't help the eye roll as she mumbled, "fine."

"Are there any subjects that are catching your interests lately?" Jack knew he was fishing, but felt he had to try. "You were getting into science last year."

"Yeah, that was last year."

"What changed?"

"Last year we were learning about the human body, that stuff was pretty cool," she answered with just a tiny bit of enthusiasm surfacing. "We learned all about our bones, and our brains, and our skin. There was even this one unit on germs and how white blood cells fight them and stuff."

"And this year?"

In an instant the energy that had just appeared was gone and she replied, "Earth science, like I care about a bunch of rocks and stuff." Jack noticed that Allie was now staring out the window, trying to avoid further conversation, so he gave up. They drove the last five minutes in silence until they pulled up in front of Samuel Adams Elementary. Allie looked around nervously before she grabbed her bag and sighed, "Later, Dad. See ya when I see ya, I guess."

"Goodbye sweetheart, I love..." he was cut by the slam of the car door. He watched Allie try to join a game of hopscotch on the playground, only to be completely ignored by her classmates. One girl walked up to her and said something that caused the rest of the group to point and laugh at her. It broke his heart to see his little girl turn quickly to try to hide the tears that were threatening to fall. As she walked dejectedly into the building, Jack tried to think of a way to help his daughter. Knowing there was nothing that could be done at the moment, he pulled away and headed over to Jane's apartment to collect her for work.

* * *

Despite her love for the subject, Maura was having a very hard time focusing on Dr. Higgins' lecture. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate, she couldn't keep her mind from drifting back to the messages she had received. She wondered who these people were and how they had gotten her email address. Even more concerning was the fact that they seemed to have some information about her, although she couldn't ascertain how much. She looked around and noticed that a group of her classmates were giggling in the corner. They got quiet once they saw her looking in their direction. On the other side of class, a tall blonde boy was pointing at her and whispering to his friend. She caught his eye and he winked at her.

As soon as her professor concluded his lesson on antigens and antibodies, Maura gathered her things as quickly as possible and rushed out of the lecture hall. She couldn't shake the feeling that everyone was watching her, nor could she come up with a reason for people to suddenly become so interested in her. For her entire academic career she had been mostly ignored by her peers and in her experience those that didn't ignore her, mocked her. Suddenly having all this attention was an unnerving experience. Heading out into the bright afternoon sun, Maura hoped that by taking a little time to relax on her favorite hidden bench she could calm down enough to be able to focus in her next class. She was not prepared to have the head of Delta Gamma, the sorority that had rejected her, smiling at her, giving her a seductive look.

Maura rushed around to the back of the building, where she found her spot undisturbed. Located under an old elm tree, just off the main path, this was the perfect place for her to try to calm down while she tried to make sense of what was going on. The last thing she wanted to do was have a panic attack in public, especially since people were actually noticing her for once. Taking a seat, she began practicing some of the breathing techniques she had learned in yoga class. For a moment, she regretted the fact that she was wearing a dress, as it would not be proper to practice yoga poses in. After a good ten minutes of deep breathing, she had finally calmed herself down.

Digging through her bag, Maura found the apple that she had packed for a snack. Then she saw her phone and realized it was still off. She turned it on and began nibbling on her fruit. Thirty seconds later, she jumped right off the bench when the alert went off. Apprehensively, she unlocked it and opened the most recent e-mail. " _Doctor of love I see. And an ac/dc even. You're looking hawt at that wet t-shirt contest in Cancun. I was hoping you'd be interested in performing cunnilingus on my girlfriend while I sodomize you.-GTOhYeah_ "

All the tension that she had just released returned to Maura tenfold. The frightening thoughts were flying through her head faster than she could grasp them. Ignoring a lifetime's worth of lesson in decorum and presentability, she took off full speed. It didn't matter that people were going to see the makeup streaks down her face or that she had left several textbooks behind. The only thought that she could hold on to was that she needed to make it to the only safe place on campus, Dr. Spielberg's office.

* * *

Jack was hoping that for once Jane would be ready when he knocked on her door. He needed to get to work so that he could get lost in code and clear his head. One glance at her as she opened the door and he knew it was going to be a long morning. Looking half-asleep, Jane was standing there in boxers and a tank top.

"Sorry man, I overslept," Jane mumbled as she stretched. She headed for her bedroom and called over her shoulder "make a pot of coffee and I'll be ready in a sec."

Though he knew he should have expected this, Jack was disappointed. Once the coffee was brewing he looked up and had to laugh when he saw Spongebob on her flatscreen. It was sometimes hard to reconcile how Jane could be so fierce and threatening most of the time, but was still so much a child at heart. He sat down on her black leather couch, grabbed the remote, and switched over to the Today Show. Watching for a minute, he realized it was probably just as asinine as the cartoon that had been on.

Suddenly the sound of girly giggles came from the bedroom. Knowing that those giggles could never be coming from his partner, Jack was confused. Watching Jane escort a petite blonde to the door and kiss her goodbye, it occurred to him that he shouldn't be surprised by this. He did successfully predict her next move, making a beeline for the coffee pot. He tried, but couldn't stop himself from asking "So, where'd you pick this one up?"

"Merch," she answered, pouring ungodly amounts of sugar into her coffee. She poured a bowl of Cap'n Crunch while she chugged down half her mug of coffee. "I made a quick run through after dinner. It only took me 15 minutes to convince her to come back here."

"Do you even know her name?"

"Um," she mumbled and then started eating to stall. A couple minutes, and about 20 spoonfuls, later she finished her first bowl and remembered, "Heather, her name is Heather. I think she's a teacher or something."

"I'm surprised you remember that much."

Jane waved him off as she refilled her bowl of cereal, "Whatever, it's not like I'll ever see her again." In an attempt to delay heading in to the office, she wandered over to her pool table, gave Jack her usual smirk and said, "Rack 'em"

"What?" was the only response he could come up with.

"Come on, we've got time for one game before we head in. You know Korsak will think something's wrong if you manage to drag me in before noon." Grabbing a cue, she gave him her best puppy dog eyes. That she was still shoveling cereal in her mouth, like an excited little kid, only served to make her ploy more effective.

Giving in, Jack got busy setting up. Just as he had finished racking, he glanced over at Jane and noticed she had completely zoned out on the tv. On the screen were rapidly passing images of couples holding up signs with various amounts of time on them. He blushed slightly as the logo appeared on the screen.

"Who in the hell would waste their time on that cheesy nonsense?" Jane asked, putting down her now empty bowl.

"Maybe somebody who's looking for more than a one night stand," he replied, grabbing a cue of his own. Knowing that the conversation was about to get uncomfortable, Jack was having a hard time paying attention to his shot. Jane knew that he had spent endless hours studying the physics and geometry of pool, so when he failed to sink anything on the break, her suspicions were confirmed. Seeing her chance to beat him for once, she leaned in and sank the two ball.

"You didn't!" she said incredulously. Surveying the table, she saw the perfect bank shot. She managed to drop the five and the one.

"I might have." He shook his head, he was about to get whooped.

"You put your personal information on a dating site. You've finally had a mental break" She smirked as she lined up her next shot. She pocketed the seven and then quickly followed up with the three.

"How else am I supposed to find someone?" Jack asked, hoping that his sincerity would spare him some mocking.

Jane studied him for a minute before she decided that his love life was sad enough without her teasing him about it. With the knowledge that she was actually going to sweep him for once, she decided to play nice. In no time at all the four and six balls were dropped so she asked "Did you come across anyone interesting on there?"

"There was this one, I sent her a message," he answered, wistfully.

"Eightball, side pocket"

* * *

Maura threw herself through the door of Dr. Spielberg's office, trying desperately to catch her breath. In a move that was completely out of character, she slammed the door shut and crumpled to ground sobbing. In an instant, Jessica ran to her, trying to figure out what was so wrong. Maura tried to explain herself, but between the tears and the desperate gasps for air she was unintelligible.

"Maura, Maura… look at me." Jessica asked, quickly figuring out that she was witnessing an anxiety attack. "You need to breathe. You'll feel better." Pulling her legs to her chest, Maura wrapped her arms around them and started rocking back and forth. That move made the doctor aware of how severe this attack was. Knowing this could take a while she sat down next to Maura and began rubbing her back gently. She repeated the phrase "Please breathe for me. In and out," for ten minutes before Maura calmed down enough for Jessica to understand what she had been chanting.

"Who are they? How do they know me?" came out almost like a mantra.

"What are you talking about?" Jessica asked, hoping to snap Maura out of her trance.

"Why is this happening to me?" Maura asked mixed in with sobs.

"Why is what happening to you?"

Maura pulled out her phone with shaky hands, unlocked it and thrusted at Jessica, "Read them."

"Ok, let's see, hot stuff, you like the human body, get to know your body…" Jessica mumbled some of the highlights. " _Oh God..._ doctor of love I see, an ac/dc, looking hawt, wet t-shirt contest, cunnilingus, girlfriend, sodomize you. _Oh no_. Maura, I am so sorry."

Wiping the tears away, Maura looked at Jessica with a confused look. "What do you mean You're sorry?" Maura voice started to rise at the end.

"Well, remember the last time we talked? I sort of got this idea and signed you up for . I was gonna tell you" Jessica started but was quickly silenced by Maura yelling.

"What do you mean you signed me up, without my permission mind you, for some dating site. I don't need help. I like to be alone. I stay safe that way. You're my friend, not my mother. I don't need you pushing me into relationships that I know won't work out." Maura explained. Silent tears making their way down her cheeks.

"I did this as your friend. You've been so sad since Garrett and I just wanted to help you move on."

"What if I don't want to move on? What if I like the idea of being independent?"

"Is that what you call it? Looks more like lonely to me."

"So now you're going to insult me?" Maura was getting defensive. She stiffened and crossed arms. "First you share my personal information with complete strangers and now you're putting down the way I live my life. If this is what friendship is, you've just proven how much better off I am on my own." Grabbing her bag, she started for the door. Before she could make it, Jessica blocked her way.

"I didn't mean to insult you," she said, switching into the voice she used to calm her daugher. "Really, I just want to see you happy. I was hoping that maybe you'd realize how many people are interested in the real you, the one you usually hide from the world."

"No one could possibly like the real me. I'm awkward and clumsy. I can barely even have a conversation with my peers. I get nervous and start rambling random facts until somebody tells me to shut up," Maura said sadly as more tears dripped down her cheek.

Jessica could see how exhausted all of this emotional had made Maura. She guided the younger woman to chair before grabbing her tablet and sitting down next to her. She asked gently, "Can I show you how I see you?"

"I suppose," was the only response Maura could muster. Her mentor loaded the profile and handed off the tablet. Maura decided it was safest to start with the pictures of herself. Browsing through them, she nearly dropped the tablet when she got to one in particular. "You didn't!"

Without having to look, Jessica knew exactly which photo Maura was talking about. "Of course I did, do you remember how proud you were when you called me that night?"

"I was severely inebriated, why else would I be proud of winning a wet t-shirt contest. I can't believe I actually sent you that picture like I had accomplished something."

"You did. You had fun."

"And what does that add up to. Sure I had fun at the time, but now it's just become a bitter memory. Spending spring break in Cancun with Garrett was a mistake," she replied morosely. "Why would you even put that up here? It's not an accurate representation of me."

"It's just one of the many sides of you, one you really ought to let out more often." Taking the tablet, Jessica navigated back to the profile. "Come on, let's look over the rest of this," she said as she handed it back.

"Ok, let's see what else you've done," Maura said, her mood beginning to improve. She nodded slightly in agreeance as she read the though the "About Me" section written by her friend. Once she got to the interests, she burst out laughing.

"What?"

"You listed the human body as my top interest. Even I know how that sounds."

"Damn it, I can't believe I missed that. No wonder you got such fucked up messages, I am so sorry."

"Why does it say no gender preference? You know I'm straight."

"Are you really going to try to tell me that I didn't watch you check out the waitress at lunch the other day?" watching her protege blush, Jessica continued, "At the very least, it can't hurt to keep your options open. How about, instead of nitpicking the profile, we filter through the messages?"

"You can try, honestly I'm afraid of them," Maura answered, growing weary of this whole endeavour. Jessica began reading, making sure to delete the vulgar ones. She didn't want them scare Maura again.

"Here's one that sounds promising," Jess said before she began reading out loud. " _Hello there, my name is Jack. I'm new to this sort of thing, so I don't really know where to start. You said that you're into the human body and I hope that wasn't a double entendre because I'd like to meet someone who appreciates science. Biology isn't really my thing, I'm a computer engineer, but I'm sure we can find some common ground. If you'd like to maybe go out for dinner some time, please message me back. -JackJackAttack"_

"He doesn't sound so bad, I suppose."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** _I own not..._

 **A/N:** _I know, I suck, this update took forever, I hope it was worth the wait. So it goes..._

By Thursday afternoon, Jane was going stir crazy. Spending four days in a row trying to occupy herself around the office was not her idea of a good time. Korsak had banned her from trying to track Rockmond, so she was stuck, feeling useless. She had spent the past three hours playing some boring new first person shooter, leaving her with aching hands and blurry vision. How anybody could call this fun was beyond her.

Jack, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying their break from wild escapades and danger. He was determined to make the most of this downtime. Having redesigned the antenna in his phone, to allow it to connect to other phones up to a hundred feet away, he was glad that he had at least solved the problem that had gotten them into this mess. With that accomplished, he was hoping to expand what he could access in a hacked phone. Any progress he was making came to a halt when Jane wandered over to his workspace and began fidgeting with one of his prototypes.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked, aimlessly.

"Trying to upgrade this system so that I can access voice calls, along with the messages and GPS. I can't figure out why the battery fries after five minutes any time I've been able to get it to work," he answered, snatching his device from her restless fingers. As he sat back down, to try to get back to work, Jane peered over his shoulder at his monitor.

"How can you stare at all that bullshit on your screen all day long and not go insane?"

"I enjoy it."

"It looks like nonsense."

"This is code, not nonsense."

"It still looks like nonsense," Jane said with a smirk, knowing that she was getting a rise out of her partner.

"You may not understand it, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't make sense," he all but growled at her.

"If you say so," she replied.

Slamming his hand on the desk, Jack turned and yelled, "What do you want Jane?"

"I'm bored."

"Don't you have work to do?"

"I played the game," Jane answered, nonchalantly.

"Did you give feedback?" he asked her, hoping to distract her so that he could return to his work.

"I'm bored, that's my feedback," she said.

"You have to give your opinion to Chip, the actual game developer. And maybe try for some constructive criticism."

"I don't want to write a report about a damned video game. Come on Jack, entertain me. At least tell me about your adventures in online dating."

"Well, I have been messaging this one girl," he said, as a smile slowly spread across his face.

"Oh yeah, what's she like?" Jane asked, starting to get intrigued. She hadn't seen that particular smile since before his divorce.

"She's incredibly smart, she seems to know a lot about science. She has this really quirky sense of humor, I'm not even sure if she realizes that she's being funny sometimes," Jack answered.

"So you've found yourself a nerd, you have fun with that."

"I'm actually supposed to have dinner with her this evening."

"You're really going to meet some girl you met online? You don't know anything about her. She might not even be a chick. What if this is some setup by Rockmond to lure you out?" she asked. This was one of those times that she could not believe her partner's naivety.

"If it is, then it's a pretty elaborate ploy, considering I messaged her first. Besides, we're meeting in public. I don't think anyone is gonna try something at the Robber," he responded, having expected Jane's little outburst.

"You're taking her to the Dirty Robber for your first date?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nevermind. I'm coming with you for backup," she said.

"No way in Hell," Jack said with his arms crossed and his spine stiff. The last thing he wanted was Jane interfering with his first date. He was sure that her presence would guarantee that there wouldn't be a second date.

"In the car, across the street?" she bargained.

"Down the block, in the library. I'll message you with a status update," he conceded.

"You know the drill, one means extraction, two, you need a cleaner, and three means you're good to go," Jane instructed him

"I know, I know. Listen, I've got to get ready for this date, what do you say to heading out a little early?" he asked.

"I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

Walking into the bar, Jack scanned the room looking for Maura? Laura? He wasn't 100 percent sure but it was something like that. He knew her better by her screen name, DoctorMDI. His eyes fell on a petite honey blonde sitting in a booth near the back with her nose in a very large thick book that would intimidate anyone. Giving her a once over, he thought she looked much too young to be in medical school. Then again, he figured anyone who could handle that kind of reading material must at least have a doctorate. He gave himself a small pep-talk and started over to the table. As he approached her, Maura looked up and immediately put her book down. Recognizing Jack from his profile picture, she flashed a megawatt smile that instantly put him at ease. He knew he was out of practice at this whole dating thing, but at least she was happy to see him.

"Hey, I'm Jack," he said, offering his hand as she stood to greet him.

"Maura Isles, it's so great to finally meet you in person," she replied, taking his hand and pulling him in to kiss both cheeks.

Surprised by the greeting, Jack froze instantly, a blush slowly spreading across his cheeks. "Wow, it really is lovely to meet you."

Embarrassed, Maura ducked her head down, letting her hair fall in her face to hide her matching blush. "I apologize, I went to boarding school in Europe. Sometimes I forget that isn't the standard greeting here," she said meekly as she returned to her seat.

"Please don't be sorry. I hate the thought of a beautiful woman apologizing for kissing me," he said sincerely, taking the seat across from her. "So, what are you reading?"

"Oh, this?" she asked, picking up her book and stuffing it back into her oversized purse. "That's just my physiology textbook. I have an exam next week and I figured I'd get some studying in while I was waiting."

"Have you been waiting long?"

"Only about 15 minutes, but that's my fault. I tend to be chronically early."

"Better that than chronically late," Jack quipped. He was pleased that his lame joke elicited a slight giggle from his date. "So, what do you like to read for fun, then?"

"A little bit of everything. I don't have a lot of time for extracurricular reading, but I have been reading science journals in what free time I do have," Maura answered. Watching him closely, she noticed that he was fidgeting with the silverware in front of him and that his leg was bouncing under the table. The realization that he appeared as nervous as she felt had an instantly calming effect.

"Me too, my favorite is the Journal of Field Robotics," he said. "How about you?"

"Currently I'm favoring the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology as well as the Journal of Forensic Sciences. I must admit that I have been known to flip through Popular Science any time I come across it."

"Me too," Jack replied with a grin.

Before the conversation could move forward, their waitress interrupted to take their orders. Maura selected the seared ahi tuna and kale salad, while Jack went with his usual, the grilled steak tenderloin salad. The blonde was more than a little bit pleased that her date was not the type to pick something fried or lacking in vegetables. Once the server was on her way back to the kitchen, she asked what she felt might be the most important question of the night. "So, what do I need to know about you that isn't included on your profile?"

Somehow, despite all his CIA training, the agent was still thrown off by questions that seemed to come out of left field. He hadn't planned on revealing this potential deal breaker on their first date, but looking into the trusting hazel eyes of the younger woman, he knew he had to be honest. "I have a daughter," he replied, hoping for the best.

"What's she like?" Maura asked, trying to figure out what to make of the reluctance she was sensing. She needed to make sure that he wasn't ashamed of his little girl. If he treated his child the way her parents treated her growing up, this was going to both their first and last date.

Jack was thrilled that she wasn't instantly running for the door. His greatest fear since his divorce was that no woman would be interested in a geeky single father. Enthusiastically, he told Maura everything she could possibly want to know about Allie. From there the conversation flowed easily, bouncing everywhere from social awkwardness to scientific inquiries. It wasn't until they finished their dessert that Jack remembered that Jane was still on standby, waiting to swoop in and save him. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and covertly sent the message 3 to his partner.

Soon the check arrived and Jack waved away Maura's attempt at going dutch, handing the waitress his credit card. Once the slip was signed, he insisted on being a gentleman by walking his date to her car. They parted ways with a chaste kiss and a promise to get together again in the near future. As Maura slipped into her car, she was grinning ear to ear. Jack walked away, mirroring her expression.

* * *

Twenty minutes after receiving Jack's text, Jane decided that, since an extraction wasn't necessary, she should head home. Just as she was approaching the exit, the most stunning girl she'd ever seen walked in. Without even thinking about it, the former detective tailed the younger woman to the fiction section, making sure to stay out of sight. She took the time to survey the situation before she made her approach.

Peering between the books one aisle over, Jane had a hard time thinking anything beyond " _she's gorgeous._ " Once she gathered her wits, she began cataloging the many contradictions she observed in her subject. What stood out the most was the fact that she was browsing the stacks dressed like she belonged at a five star restaurant. Her dress was sexy and revealing, yet classy. It was just the perfect shade of blue and though it was obviously expensive, it was not ostentatious. The five inch heels that she was wearing made the beauty seem to be as tall as Jane, but clearly she was much more petite than that. She had shoulder length, blonde hair that fell perfectly, even after she shook it out. Jane couldn't quite calculate her age. She had the facial features of a twenty year old, yet she carried herself with the poise and professionalism of a middle aged woman. It all added up to the most intriguing mystery Agent Rizzoli had come across in a long time.

Jane decided that her best course of action would be the direct approach. With her trademark Rizzoli swagger, she sauntered over to where Maura was checking out a display of Kurt Vonnegut novels. She figured that such a prim and proper lady would be the Jane Austen type, so this would be the perfect opportunity to show off some of her knowledge.

"Ah Vonnegut, he's been one of my favorites since high school. I'm sure I can make some suggestions as to where to get started." Jane said, leaning slightly over the woman's shoulder.

Startled, Maura stiffened, unhappy with the interruption. She took a moment to compose herself, then turned her head, one eyebrow raised, and replied "Is that so?"

Jane smiled, hoping it would help put her mark at ease. "Why yes. I mean, with all these books to choose from, it can be hard picking one."

At this Maura smirked. "While Mr. Vonnegut was a prolific author, I really don't find this decision to be all that daunting," she said.

"Well, let me help you out anyway. _Cat's Cradle_ is a great intro to Vonnegut's style. It's got humor, some great sci-fi stuff and a really interesting take on religion and philosophy," Jane said, trying to keep the conversation going.

Realizing that she was being hit on, Maura decided it might be a little fun to toy with this woman, who was obviously making big assumptions about her character. "An introduction you say?" she picked up the library's tattered copy of _Slaughterhouse Five_ and turned towards the woman who was making no effort to hide the fact that she was checking Maura out. "I've always heard that this was the book to start with."

"Well um, yeah. I mean _Slaughterhouse_ is the classic, for sure. It's like, you know, the one everybody's read," Jane stammered. She hadn't expected to be challenged, and the way the young blond looked at her, she knew it was definitely a challenge. "It's a great book for sure, it'll give you a whole new perspective on war."

"The classic, hmm?"

"It is. Really, you can't top time travel, can you?" Jane asked, hoping that a little humor would soften up the rigid blonde. When she didn't even crack a smile, Jane tried a different tactic. "Many people would call it the quintessential Vonnegut novel." This did earn a small smile, but not for the reason she had been hoping for.

"Actually, amongst most literary circles, _Breakfast of Champions_ is known as the quintessential Kurt Vonnegut novel. While it may be lacking in the 'sci-fi stuff,' as you put it, the way it portrays its themes of loneliness and the death of the American is nearly untouchable. As far as time travel goes, Billy Pilgrim believes himself to be 'unstuck in time,' meaning he experiences events in non-sequential order which does not necessarily equate the same thing as travelling through time. Personally, I believe that the scene in which Kilgore Trout, who in many ways is Vonnegut's alter-ego, meets Kurt Vonnegut, the man who created and controls him, easily tops the concept of time travel. Though I do agree that both _Slaughterhouse_ and _Cat's Cradle_ are brilliant novels in their own right, you were correct in your assessment of them as introductory Vonnegut. I read them both when I was 12. Your input is appreciated, but I was actually interested in perusing one of his short story collections today," Maura happily lectured. Leaving Jane with her mouth agape, she picked up a copy of _Welcome to the Monkey House_ and wandered off.

Minutes later, Jane finally came to her senses. Her interaction with that gorgeous younger woman left her feeling downright dazed and confused. She couldn't believe that not only had she not succeeded in getting the beauty's number, she hadn't even learned her name. If she was honest with herself, Jane had to admit that not only had she been shot down, she was actually left looking stupid. What she couldn't figure out was why this made the nameless woman more attractive. History had showed that Agent Rizzoli only liked her dalliances to be quick and easy and it was obvious that the woman she had just encountered was anything but that.

Quickly Jane headed outside and found a dark corner that was ideal for staking out the parking lot. After 15 minutes, she saw the blond slipping into a nearly brand new Mercedes. The former detective jotted down the licence plate number and pulled out her phone to call her brother's partner.

"Hey Barry, can you run a plate for me?"


End file.
